Furaha is a beautiful and charming four-year-old and the eighth-born child in a family of nine children. Furaha is a Swahili word for “happiness” and true to her name she is always a happy and smiley girl. Furaha’s parents are small-scale farmers of maize and rice. They get most of their food from what they harvest. Their income is not much because they can only get money when they sell their rice harvest or go out and seek day’s jobs like working on other people’s farms.
Furaha has been diagnosed with bilateral genu varus where her legs bow outward at the knee. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she experiences knee pain after walking or playing for a while.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Furaha. The procedure is scheduled to take place on October 8th. Treatment will hopefully restore Furaha’s mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications.
Furaha’s mother says: “I was told that we can have her legs corrected here, please help us.”